Home Again
by MaeLace
Summary: Why did Ziva return to NCIS?Spoilers for Kill Ari


Discliamer: I do not own NCIS or anything else, not even to computer I am typing this on.

A/N: My first oneshot. Mikal does show up in "Kill Ari", but she is not given a name. The name Mikal is biblical, old testament.

* * *

Ben walked through the doors to his apartment complex. The ancient elevator had died again. _Damn_, he thought as he headed for the stairs. Work today had been long and hard, he was so tired. His steps were increasingly slow and laborious as he climbed to the top floor. The rickety staircase groaned with every step. When he finally unlocked his apartment door, all Ben wanted to do was flop down on his bed and allow sweet sleep to take him. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. There was a person in his apartment, a woman. _What the hell was she doing here?_ He wondered as the woman turned swiftly to face him. Her eyes filled was remorse, his with recognition as she raised her gun. He barely had the chance to make a sound before he fell to the floor, dead. The shot made a sharp retort, like that of a car backfiring, the silencer would not permit more. The woman moved swiftly towards the door.

* * *

"Ah, my little Ziva, you have returned." The Deputy Director of Mossad spoke in that odd tone of his, approving, but without love. He was the one who had sent her to the US to keep an eye on her brother. The Director had always thought that fortune had never treated him more kindly then when it granted him his children, tool to his ends, to be trained to his liking. But something had gone horribly wrong. It must have, otherwise he would be talking to both of his children, and Ari wouldn't be dead. And here stood Ziva, silent, as he sat lost in his thoughts. "Report" He ordered, all business, as always. _

* * *

_

___Report? How could he just say "Report"?_ Ziva wondered in that portion of her mind that she allowed to remain sentimental. But the rest of her was already off into the report that she had prepared.

"A great deal of evidence was put forth to prove that Officer Haswari had killed NCIS Agent Caitlin Todd, though most of it was circumstantial. We still would have made retrieval, but Officer Haswari ambushed NCIS Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in his own home, using one of Agent Gibbs' own weapons. Agent Gibbs' shot and killed him. I have brought his body back for burial. That is all I have to report at this time, sir."

* * *

Deputy Director David was proud. Ziva had given a clear, concise report without allowing her emotions to cloud her judgment. But still, something troubled him. He felt as though he were not getting the full story. That could, of course, mean more then one thing. But there was only one way to find out. 

"Now that I know what officially happened, why don't you tell me the rest, my daughter?"

_

* * *

_

___Now he wants to know_ Ziva thought wryly. Whenever he called her "my daughter", Ziva had begun to smell a rat. Especially after what Ari had told Gibbs. What Ari had told Gibbs. Ironic, how the more she tried to pretend like none of it had been said, the heavier it weighed on her heart. All through the plane trip home, she had tried to decide whether or not she should tell her father what really happened. She had never doubted her father before, always believed everything he told her. How one little trip can change things. She had seen how Gibbs cared for Abby, how he grieved for Kate. Ziva had always thought that fathers were harsh or caring, never both. But now, seeing Gibbs… He was like a father to everyone on his team. He was a jackass sometimes, even to them, she'd seen it. But he also cared about them more than anything. He loved them. That was something neither Ziva nor Ari had ever gotten from their father. Gibbs knew about Ari, of course. Shouldn't she tell her father? She answered him instead with a question.

"Where is Mika? Isn't she back yet?" Mikal, Ziva's cousin, had given Ari his forged papers in the states. She would have returned yesterday.

_

* * *

_

___Ah, my little girls, Ziva and Mikal._ Thought the elder David. They had grown up together, trained together. So competitive then, so close now. Nearly identical as babies, they still looked very much alike. "She will be here soon" He replied. "But child, what aren't you telling me?"

* * *

Well, he never had been one to be put off topic. Now was the time. She had to decide. Or did she? There was something else that Ari has said to Gibbs. "Is it true?" She asked, her voice just the right mix of question and accusation. "Did you have Ari's mother killed?"

* * *

What exactly David had been expecting he wasn't sure. But certainly not this. How could Ari have known? How could he have told Ziva? But he could explain. She would understand, she had to. "Yes, Ziva. Yes, I did. But only because she was clouding Ari's judgment. She kept telling him things… I was afraid that she would cause him to turn on us. Do you understand?" He looked at her very closely, like a teacher to a student. 

"Yes" she said, nodding her head firmly. "Yes, I do"

"Good" He responded, relieved. "You may go"

_

* * *

_

___Understand? How was she supposed to understand? He readily admits to killing a woman with whom he fathered a child, and she is supposed to just understand?_ Ziva needed to talk to Benjamin. One of her best friends since childhood, he had never liked her father, always pointing out things to Ziva that often led to arguments, both physical and verbal. She drove to his apartment, had that damn elevator ever worked? And headed for the stairs. Reaching his floor, she met Mika, who wore dark clothes and a grim expression and carried a large handbag. Mika stopped and stared at her, waiting.Ziva needed to talk to Benjamin. One of her best friends since childhood, he had never liked her father, always pointing out things to Ziva that often led to arguments, both physical and verbal. She drove to his apartment, And headed for the stairs. Reaching his floor, she met Mika, who wore dark clothes and a grim expression and carried a large handbag. Mika stopped and stared at her, waiting.

_

* * *

_

_What was she doing here? She was supposed to be giving her report. _But here she was, brain realizing what must have happened, eyes begging it not to be true. She tried to push past, but Mika caught her arm and held firmly. Ziva turned to her, eyes and voice filled with pain. "Why?" she asked. Mika answered quietly, ushering her down the stairs. "Uncle said that Ben was telling you things, clouding your judgment-" Mika broke off. "I'm sorry" she said, and then turned, leaving Ziva at her car.

* * *

Killing Ari's mother had not stopped Ari from doing what he did. Why did her father think that killing Ben would stop her? But she would be smarter about it, directing her anger at her father, not the rest of the world. She drove through the hot, dry evening till she reached her apartment, and then went up to call Jen. 


End file.
